Synopsis via Goodreads: “Was I still a human? Gosh, I still wanted to be human. Even just to keep a sliver of whom I thought I was. But as I thought about being human, standing in the shade of the forest, I felt less human than ever. The trees fought for my allegiance.”

It starts in her chest. The change Calliope doesn’t see coming. It pulses like a second heartbeat, urging her to give in to the need to be in the depths of the forest. She’s compelled to fight the pull, but the more she denies it the stronger it becomes until she finally surrenders and is pulled into a secret world of enchantment.

Kai and Declan need her to accept what she is, but with everything left unsaid, acceptance may be the least of their worries. Knowing their fate lies in her hands, they’ll stop at nothing to protect and prepare her for what lies ahead.

Will Calliope be able to accept what Kai and Declan reveal or will her desire to be normal keep her from acknowledging her true destiny?

As a debut novel for Mindy Hayes, I am entirely impressed. This book was a breath of fresh air in the YA genre. The flow, the characters, the romance, and the paranormal beings were phenomenal. It is going to be really hard to not write about the specific paranormal beings in the book but I want to keep it a surprise. All I am going to say is that I am glad that someone finally got these paranormal beings right, I have hated their depiction in the past. OK, I am stopping now, it would be just too much of a spoiler. The main character, Calliope, is lovable and a incredibly relatable character She struggles to find herself and discover the right path. I really enjoyed that she wasn’t a whiny teenager with a poor me attitude. She does have some teenage girl moments but I didn’t find myself annoyed. I really enjoyed her journey and can’t wait to travel the rest!

There is romance in the novel but I am glad for once it does not overshadow the plot. While the synopsis hints at two boys, Declan and Kai, there is one more boy that plays a role in Calliope’s life. I am not a math teacher but I am pretty sure that means we have a LOVE SQUARE. Even with one more boy added into the mix it still seems that Calliope isn’t just thinking about boys. She has a big choice to make does she ignore who or what she is or does she become all that she was destined to be?

I just love this novel, can’t get enough of the Failynn series and have been not so patiently waiting for Ember! AND to my absolute excitement, I am allowed to announce that the second novel, Ember is out!!

About the Author: Mindy grew up in San Diego, California exploring her interest for singing and playing the piano. Mindy first discovered her passion for reading when she had to make her first flight alone to South Carolina to visit her, then, fiancé. Mindy’s love for writing followed shortly after. She and her husband have now been married for five years and live in Summerville, South Carolina.Kaleidoscope is her debut novel, its sequel, Ember, will be released in September 2013.Links to Mindy:http://mindyhayes.blogspot.com/https://www.facebook.com/hayes.mindyhttps://twitter.com/haymindywrites

I'd have to say that I'm a true-blue vamp fan first & foremost, though I love many of these otherworldly beings. Yes I might consider becoming one, but only if the pain of changing has been a gross exaggeration, lol.